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Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Social Media

...and why it's so important

photo credit: www.becsouthernsydney.com

I've been looking at jobs recently and my key skills and experience seem to be leaning me toward a career in communications and social media. Already inept at blogging on this clever contraption, using the app I can even blog easily on the go fine tuning the smaller details later on my laptop, I wanted to look further into why online is now so important to businesses, graduates (like myself) and every other human on the planet. I've come up with FIVE main principles why it works so well.1. EngagementYou can reach people you would have never reached before. Mainly a young audience but they're the most useful ones - they will like, share, retweet, show friends, repin and repost your blog/ article/ feature and their friends will do the same (if they like it enough that is) you'll see the traffic on your page go through the roof - especially if you start using hashtags - and get comments galore even inspiring people at the same time.2. Up To The MinuteMonthly magazines are thought out months in advance, news changes so people's interest will be different, they now use social media as a great way to keep their avid readers in the loop. Vogue.co.uk in particular has a great website that allows them to engage with their consumer giving the reader more up to date information than they would find in the magazine. That's exactly what any 'average joe' can do - it's certainly what I do, as soon as there is a particular news story I am interested in I will be straight on social media tweeting, blogging and pinning.3. Brand IdentityOnline is one of the easiest ways to get your brand's voice heard, as I have already mentioned the social media audience is normally a lot younger and they're not necessarily interested in reading pages and pages of a REAL magazine (that would be insane, right?) they want everything they need right there and then. If you are launching a new brand or revitalising an old one social media is the best tool to get yourself across. Consumers have become nosier and they want to know more about you and your job is to let them know who you are and what you stand for, it needs to be accepted.

4. Cheap As ChipsWhile increasing customer satisfaction in your company it will not cost you a fortune. If done right it will keep costs down while increasing your revenue at the same time - sounds a bit technical doesn't it? But it doesn't have to be. In simple terms a lot of the social media channels are free, it is only LinkedIn Premium I pay for as it's more of a professional community, but even the basic package there is free when you first begin. What's not to love?5. TrustYou are feeding your consumer's information, it is vital that all this information is correct and the timing is right. Social Media savvy youngsters are more likely to trust a business than the 65+ generation, they understand it more and have a connection with what they are reading. Get your information right and you'll be reaping the benefits straight away.If you are looking into a career in social media or just take a keen interest in it you should abide by these five easy steps. Happy tweeting, pinning, liking and sharing!